Newmarket residents are scratching their heads. Why has their road been dug up, and their driveways replaced, twice in 18 months? And while the council's at it, why don't they widen this bottleneck? Sophie Bond investigates.
It's mid-morning and parking spaces in Newmarket are scarce. I try the entrance to Alpers Ave, at the corner of Manukau Rd, unsure if that's allowed.
Graham Astley is waiting on the footpath, and waves a hand towards the car. "They'll let you get away with it. They don't seem to police the cars parked at the kerb. But look what a hassle it is for drivers trying to turn in."
The cars parked along the south side of Alpers Ave are among several problems Mr Astley sees on this one-way street.
Workers are digging up the kerbs and replacing driveway entrances for the second time in 18 months.
And there is a constant stream of cars, many heading for the Southern Motorway on-ramp.
Mr Astley lives nearby on Owens Rd, and Alpers Ave is his route home from shopping.
A couple of weeks ago he was surprised to see roadworks here again and thought the council must be widening the street at long last.
"This is a totally gridlocked street all day, every day, and then I find out they're not widening the road. I was appalled.
"The council treat this as a nice little residential street, but it needs to be recognised for what it is - an important feeder for the Northern Motorway."
He says it is frustrating to see much of the work from 18 months ago being repeated.
"You see these guys picking up a piece of bluestone kerbing, moving it 30cm and placing it again. So there's money in the budget to individually set bluestone but not for widening the road."
Albert Eden Local Board member Tim Woolfield forwarded Mr Astley an emailed explanation from Auckland Council which acknowledges the roadworks are "reworking an upgrade of these assets completed some 18 months ago and does not look the best from a customer/ratepayer perspective".
In everyday language, they are doing the work all over again and the public is right to be peeved.
Alpers Dental Group practice owner Nicolas Anderson says the works are causing a bottleneck and making it difficult for patients to reach the clinic.
"This was all done about a year ago, so why are they digging this all up again at the ratepayers' expense?
"We've been told our driveway will be relaid for the second time. We've only just got our grass verge back to normal after the last time."
Auckland Transport communications manager Sharon Hunter says work on the kerbs and driveway entrances is preparing for road rebuilding to begin in January.
The new footpaths will be left as they are, but the driveway entrances need replacing.
"This was the most cost-effective way to achieve a viable, long-term road surface with minimal disruption to road users."
She says there are no plans to widen Alpers Ave.
"Widening the road is not feasible as it would require removal of protected street trees and the relocation of existing services, including stormwater drainage.
"These are all very costly and disruptive construction activities."
Previously on Alpers Ave
Eighteen months ago, Telecom and Vector paid for the undergrounding of telephone and power cables.
During this work, the former Auckland City Council funded a new footpath and new driveway entrances.
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